Allene Ishikawa, a parishioner at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, chokes up each time she takes part in the weekly Stations of the Cross devotion, which traces Jesus Christ’s agonizing footsteps to his death by crucifixion.
It was her idea five years ago to form the prayer group, which meets each Friday at 5:45 p.m. — not just during Lent, as is customary during the 40-day period of abstinence and penance preceding Easter Sunday. The church, at 800 Kaheka St. in the Ala Moana area, also offers the Stations of the Cross devotion at 11:15 a.m. on all Lenten Fridays.
"It’s good to do not only at Lent, but throughout the year. It reminds us that Christ went through all of this horror for all the generations to come," Ishikawa said.
The Stations of the Cross devotion, also known as the Way of the Cross, consists traditionally of 14 scenes — pictures, images or carvings of different materials — hung in sequence on the inside perimeter of a church. They depict a series of incidents from the time Jesus is condemned to death until he is nailed to the cross and laid in a tomb; it includes scenes of his encounters with people who support him as well as those who scorn him, and the three times he falls in torment while carrying the cross.
Particularly significant to the Catholic Church, the custom began when early Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem followed Jesus’ journey toward his crucifixion, erecting shrines or stations along the way.
The Rev. Khanh Hoang of Sts. Peter & Paul said parishioners take time to reflect or meditate on how Christ’s suffering applies to their lives, as a priest or deacon pauses in front of each station to read Scripture and leads the singing of verses from the Stabat Mater. Every church has its own practice.
"The stations are important devotions honoring the passion of Jesus. They are a source of hope and patience, and they can also teach us to trust in God in all our trials and tribulations," he said.
"It’s important that people look at Jesus’ suffering; God can identify with us. For people, it’s not so much that they need an answer — yes, maybe they pray for a miracle — but it’s having someone accompanying you that makes the biggest difference," Hoang said. Often it’s someone who has gone through misery who can best minister to others, he added.
"When people face difficult situations, they always ask, ‘Why me? Why, God?’ It’s hard to see the bigger picture of all the good things God has done for us when we’re suffering, but we should try to understand and accept it. What else can we do but surrender to God’s will and to the idea that there’s a bigger reason? We may not understand the reason, but in the end it will turn out for the better. It helps us to carry on and gives us the courage to continue on our journey," Hoang said.
Ishikawa said of all the stations, the one that most moves her is the 12th, which depicts Jesus dead on the cross, his head bowed. Citing Scripture from the book of devotions used, when it comes to the sentence "He died," "that really hits you. It still does," she said, struggling to control her voice.
She said she wanted to continue the stations ritual beyond the Lenten season because it gave her a sense of fulfillment, and she was concerned about the forgotten "souls in purgatory, a place to be cleansed of our sins before we get to heaven."
"It’s a small thing to do once a week. Everyone feels that way. It’s not easy to go every Friday, but they come. We’re willing to sacrifice that time because many of us had people who passed away," she added. (The group does not meet during the 50 days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost.)
Deacon Richard Abel has been leading the group of 10 to 15 regulars, and has given the benediction since its formation. Though it began as a devotion to remember the souls in purgatory, it also lifts up those who pray.
"The whole thing kind of touches me. It gets to be a habit. It’s like the way some people have a couple of drinks after the end of the workweek. For me it’s Stations of the Cross; it’s what I do Friday night," Abel said.
He said it is the 11th station, which depicts Jesus being nailed to the cross, that grabs his heart, and the Scripture that is read in which Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
"It makes me think, if I’ve offended someone, I would hope that someone would forgive me, like Jesus did, because oftentimes we’re not aware of what we do. It reminds (us) of what Jesus did for us, and he was willing to die even if only one believer was saved, because he loved us unconditionally," he said.
"That the Father would send his own son — I couldn’t stand to watch if someone beat my son to death without stepping in physically — but that’s what the Father did because of the love he had for humanity. Who am I that God would be mindful of me? That brings tears to my eyes," Abel said.
The Stations of the Cross custom was popularized when Franciscan friars were given custody of holy sites in the Holy Land in the 1342. The number of stations was standardized to 14 by 1731, but recently many churches have included Jesus’ resurrection as a 15th station.
